THE GOAL:Improve members’ response to birthday greetings from The Country Club of Salisbury that include vouchers for a discount.THE PLAN: Switch to electronic greeting cards that are free and easier to send, more timely and environmentally friendly, and more likely to be noticed.
THE PAYOFF: Better recognition and an unanticipated benefit—strong return links to the club’s new interactive Website. |
Todd Cromie was starting to wonder whether he was any good at selecting and giving gifts. Cromie, the General Manager of The Country Club of Salisbury (N.C.), had been sending out birthday cards to the club’s members that included a voucher for a birthday discount, but many were going unredeemed.
Upon closer investigation, Cromie learned it wasn’t the message, but the messenger. Many members hadn’t ever opened the cards, either because they didn’t realize what they contained, or they just weren’t tuned into “snail mail” anymore.
That got Cromie thinking that it might be better to start using any of the many electronic birthday greeting card options that are now available through various Internet sites. Beyond the strong possibility that these were more likely to be noticed and read, Cromie saw a number of other advantages: No more selecting, buying, or storing an assortment of appropriate cards. No more signing them, sealing them, or paying for stamps to stick on them. Plus, cutting out the paper versions would be environmentally friendly, the electronic greeting cards would be free to send and get delivered in a more timely fashion, and offer more entertaining messages and an updated image for the club.
Until he actually made the switch, though, Cromie didn’t realize what the best and biggest benefit of all would be from sending e-birthday cards to members. He made sure, when selecting and arranging to have the e-cards sent, that the message would include a link back to the CC of Salisbury web site—and then quickly saw, after they went out, that the electronic cards were not only being noticed, but generating a strong and immediate response.
“[The link in the e-cards] has driven members to use our site more frequently,” Cromie says. “And because our new site is very interactive, members are now using it to plan when and how they would like to use their birthday discount.”
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